


The Magical Place

by Persiflage



Series: AoS Alternate Endings [10]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome Skye (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Canon-Typical Violence, Episode Related, F/M, Older Man/Younger Woman, References to Torture, Skye Taking Care of Coulson, Vulnerable Coulson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-09 07:09:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3240857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate ending to The Magical Place in which Skye takes care of Coulson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Magical Place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tayryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayryn/gifts).



> I'm rewatching AoS S1, and this idea hit me like a ton of bricks, so I had to write it.

Coulson is only vaguely aware of May coming to help Skye get him off the bed where he's been restrained: all he can focus on is Skye: her hands holding onto him, her anxious expression as she watches him, the way her face and his hands are still damp from her tears.

"Come on, Phil, let's get you out of here," May says, and she lifts his right arm over her shoulders. Skye mirrors May's action, and between the two women, he's half walked, half carried out of that hateful room, then out into the too-bright sunshine. 

He can't help moaning quietly at the blinding pain and he scrunches up his face, screwing his eyes closed; the light is too bright after the dark images he saw in the memory machine.

"Here." He hears Skye's voice by his ear, and then she turns his head towards her with a gentle hand on his cheek. "Borrow these." 

He half opens his eyes, then opens them all the way when he realises Skye's put a pair of sunglasses on him.

"Thanks," he rasps.

"Any time, AC." She repositions herself and the three of them manage to reach the SUV.

"I'll call Agent Hand, let her know we've got you," May says. She looks at Skye. "Stay with him."

Skye nods vigorously, then opens the back door of the SUV and helps him to climb up inside, and Coulson pulls off the sunglasses. He leans his head back against the seat with a soft groan, and only half listens to May reporting in to Victoria Hand. 

"Where's the Bus parked?" he asks Skye.

She shakes her head. "We didn't bring it," she tells him. "Agent Hand's been in charge in your absence."

He winces at that – Hand had made it pretty clear she thought Fury had been playing favourites by giving him the Bus after the Battle of New York – and he can't imagine she's got on too well with his team.

May leans between the front seats to address Coulson. "I'm going to help Ward and FitzSimmons clear up here. Agent Hand is sending the Bus to fetch us. Skye, you stay with Coulson. There's a first aid kit in the trunk – should be some painkillers in there." She reaches down between the two front seats, then passes a bottle of water to Skye.

May looks at Coulson. "Don't think of moving until Simmons has had a chance to look you over."

"No," agrees Coulson, "no moving."

May nods, then closes the driver's door before disappearing.

"I'll get the first aid kit," Skye tells him. She closes her hand around his and squeezes, giving him a look that's a combination of worried and relieved, and he finds a smile from somewhere. 

"Not moving," he reminds her, and she smiles back, nods, then pulls away, and Coulson hears her opening the trunk and rattling around for a moment before she returns. He watches as she flips the case open and digs around for painkillers, and he can't help thinking that she looks good. He's not sure whether the leather jacket's come from, or why she looks a bit like a junior Agent May, but it's a good look on her.

"Here." She tips two tablets into his palm, then passes him the bottle of water, and he swallows them down.

"Thanks." He passes back the water, then leans his head back again, closing his eyes. He's trying to remember when he last felt this exhausted, and trying not to think too much about the images he saw in the memory machine. He suspects he's going to have nightmares after this and he winces internally at the prospect.

He feels Skye's gaze on him, even with his eyes closed, and he tells her, "I'm okay."

She snorts disbelievingly, and he cracks open his eyes and tries to give her a reproving look, but it hurts too much.

"Yeah," she says meaningfully when he can't hide his wince of pain. "You're definitely okay, AC."

"Skye," he says, a little plaintively.

She wraps her hand carefully around his left wrist. "Coulson. You don't have to pretend with me. I heard you in there, you wanted to die."

He swallows hard. "No. That – I was saying that – " He can't get the words out to explain, and he feels horrified when he realises that he wants to cry. 

"Shh," she says, and shifts closer to him, slipping an arm around his shoulders. "I've got you, AC."

He leans into her helplessly, and bites his bottom lip to hold back his tears. He hates feeling vulnerable, but if he has to feel that way in front of anyone, at least it's Skye – she won't judge him for it, he knows.

AC-S-AC-S-AC

Once aboard the Bus, Simmons guides him up to his office, with Skye close behind, leaving May to take Raina to the interrogation cell, while Ward and Fitz carry aboard the equipment that SHIELD had wanted collected.

Coulson sits on the couch and Simmons gives him a thorough examination while Skye stands guard in the doorway. Both of them wince at the sight of the bruises and burns on his torso, although Simmons hides her concern rather better than Skye manages to do.

Once Simmons has finished, she recommends bed rest, and he agrees, but says he wants to see Raina off the plane when the time comes.

"All right," Simmons agrees, sounding a little reluctant, he thinks. 

"Don't worry, Simmons, I'll make sure he rests," Skye says from her spot by the door, and the young doctor shoots her a grateful look. Coulson would think of protesting, but it requires more energy than he has, so he just nods.

"Don't hesitate to call me back up here if Agent Coulson needs anything else," Simmons tells Skye, then heads out.

"Come on, AC, let's get you into bed." 

He lets her help him up from the couch, but he manages to walk the short distance through from his office into his bedroom without her propping him up.

"I should take a shower," he says, aware of how sweaty he is from the attentions of the super soldiers, not to mention being trapped in the machine.

"I think you should get some rest first," Skye says. "I'm not sure you're capable of standing up long enough to shower just now."

He grumbles a bit at that, but can't really argue because he knows she's right. He sits on the edge of his bed, and Skye takes off his shoes and socks, then helps him out of his shirt and the t-shirt underneath. He can't look at her when she sees his scar, and then he does because she growls inarticulately.

"Skye." He's not sure what he wants to say to her, but she cups his cheek in her right hand, then presses her lips to his forehead.

"Lie down," she says, dropping her hand to his shoulder and pushing gently. 

He shifts around, and she helps him swing his legs up onto the bed, then pulls the covers up over him.

"I'll be in your office if you need me," she tells him and starts to move away.

He reaches for her wrist. "Skye." She turns back to him, one eyebrow raised in enquiry. "Will you stay with me, please? I – " He swallows. "I don't want to be on my own just now." The words come out in a whisper.

She nods, then slips off her leather jacket and boots, before climbing up onto the bed beside him. She lies on top of the covers and when Coulson moves nearer, she gathers him close, her arms sliding around him.

"I've got you, AC."

AC-S-AC-S-AC

When Coulson wakes a few hours later he feels a good deal better. He's also surprised to discover that he hasn't had a single nightmare.

He shifts and Skye immediately asks, "How are you feeling now?"

"Better," he tells her, and sees her expression of surprise when she registers how much livelier he sounds. He sits up and pushes himself backwards to rest against the headboard. "How long was I asleep?"

"Three hours," she tells him. She looks at him carefully, and he smiles at her inspection. "You look a lot healthier, I must say."

He nods. "I think I'll grab a shower," he rubs a hand over his stubble, and adds, "and a shave."

"I'll leave you to it," she tells him and swings off the bed.

"Can you wait in my office, please?"

She looks a trifle surprised, but nods, and grabs her jacket and boots before moving out. 

Coulson tidies his bed, then gets out fresh clothes before stripping off his pants and boxers and moving into his bathroom. He's showered, and dressed in clean pants and a t-shirt when he makes an unwelcome discovery, and he pads over to the door of his office.

"Skye?"

She looks up from the book she's reading. "Coulson?"

"Do you know how to shave a man?"

Her mouth quirks before she answers. "Yeah, I do. Miles broke his arm once and I had to shave him while it was healing."

"Do you think you could shave me, please?" That earns him a raised eyebrow and pursed lips, and he ducks his head, then mutters, "My hand's shaking too much."

"Oh!" She puts aside the book, then crosses his office and follows him into his bathroom. "How come your hand's shaking so much then?"

He shrugs, then swallows and admits, "I'm getting flashes of memory, from what I saw in Raina's memory machine. It – I – " 

Skye puts a hand on his wrist and slides it down to squeeze his hand gently. "It's okay," she tells him. "You don't have to explain any more."

She guides him to sit down on the closed toilet seat, then places a towel around his neck, before lathering up the shaving brush and applying it with quick, deft strokes. When she brings the razor towards his face he swallows convulsively, and she lifts her left hand and covers his eyes.

"Don't look," she says softly, and he closes his eyes, and feels her hand drop onto his shoulder before she begins to shave him. 

"You can look now," she tells him several minutes later, and when he opens his eyes he sees her rinsing the razor in the sink. 

He lifts his hand and touches his face, then smiles when he discovers how good a job she's done. 

"Thank you."

She grins at him. "You're welcome, AC." 

He gets to his feet and wraps his arms around her. "I didn't thank you for coming to rescue me," he observes. "So thank you. Also, later, I want to hear the story behind the Agent May look you adopted."

She chuckles at that as she hugs him back. "You're the boss, AC."

"Good. Now let's go and show the rest of the team that the boss is on his feet."

She waits for him again in his office while he finishes dressing, then follows him downstairs to where they find the rest of the team gathered in the lab looking at Raina's equipment. 

Simmons gives him a quick visual examination, then nods in obvious satisfaction when she sees he's okay. Ward shakes hands with him, Fitz pats his back, and May swallows hard, then gives him a brief smile. 

After Raina's gone, and the team have scattered about their usual tasks, Coulson heads back to his office with Skye. He gestures her to the couch and sits beside her, and after taking off her bracelet, he invites her to tell him the story of her rescue of him.

She's self-deprecating and amusing, but it becomes clear that she's been nothing short of heroic in working out how to find him and setting out to rescue him while hampered by Agent Hand's increased restrictions on her use of technology.

"Well," he says when she's finished. "I knew bringing you on board the Bus was a wise move, but I'm now even more glad that I did. I hate to think how many more days I'd have been trapped there if it had been left to Agent Hand to find me. Thank you." 

She flushes and murmurs something indistinguishable.

"I think it's time we started getting you ready for your Level One exams," he tells her, and her head snaps up, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Really?" she whispers.

He nods. "Yep. You've earned the right to take them."

"Thank you." She throws her arms around his neck, and he chuckles, then wraps his arms around her in return.

"Don't thank me just yet," he tells her. "I'm going to make you study really, really hard."

"I won't let you down, Coulson," she promises.

"Of course not." 

They sit there for several minutes, just holding each other, and Coulson takes pleasure in being held by Skye. Now he knows that Tahiti was all a lie, he's realising that this is the most physical contact he's had with anyone since his death. He wishes he dared to ask for more, but he doesn't want to make a fool of himself with Skye. Eventually he eases himself away from her, and tells her that he has reports to deal with.

"Can I still work in here with you?" she asks. "Even though I don't need you to give me internet access any more?"

"If you want to," he says, feeling his lips quirk up into a little smile.

"It's nice up here, and I like the way we talk stuff over," she tells him.

He nods. "Yeah, you can work in here."

She gives him a radiant smile, then goes to fetch her laptop, and Coulson moves across to his desk. Inviting Skye aboard the Bus was definitely a very wise move, and he knows how lucky he is that she was around to save his ass. _Good work, Phil,_ he tells himself and smirks.


End file.
